I have read many posts regarding these topics and think I understand. A potting mix is optimal in the eb (miracle grow mix, stagreen, bayer, (I dont have access to get promix or jungle growth) but my questions are as followed
1.) Miracle grow with moisture control, fertilizer or neither?
2.) What fertilizer goes into strip? Brand name, numbers (x-x-x)
Sorry if I repeated questions but many posts and replys are making me more confused.
How many cubic feet would I need for 5 EB?
Fertilizer and potting mix for Earthbox
6-8-10 is what EB uses. 10-10-10 is Osmocote for Vegetables. I use Jungle Growth. I think people are going to tell you the MG with fertilizer.
dmx-You will be better off with soil that doesn't have fertilizer already in it. You put the fertilizer strip on the far side of the box from the maters so they will grow their roots out there to get the nutrients. From the EB site:
POTTING MIX
Almost any brand of potting mix for containers or hanging plants will work. You'll need the big bag - 2 1/2 cubic feet or about 75 quarts per box. Some national brands are: Jungle Growth, Pro-Mix, Majestic, Sam's Choice and Peters Professional Mix. Or mix your own: 45% peat moss, 45% compost, 10% perlite, and two cups of dolomite or hydrated lime.
FERTILIZER
The EarthBox is designed to be used with a stripe of common dry granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables. Almost any brand of fertilizer will work as it is not designed to be mixed with water and all 3 numbers on the label are between 5-15. Some national brands are Vigoro, K Gro, Scots, Rite Green, Sam's Choice and Fertrell. You'll need two cups of fertilizer for each planting. Organic fertilizer can be used by mixing three cups with the potting mix. Do not add any additional fertilizer.
Tplant says he can fill his EBs up with 2 cu ft of Jungle Growth. I can't do it with the Speedlings potting mix I use. I need 2.5 to fill them up and build a good mound on top. Ed
I have a question about organic fertilizer in the Earthbox. Does anyone know what to use?
I'm thinking I will have to make a mix of some sort. I have granular kelp, with an NPK of 0.5-0.2-1.5 (?--I think I'm reading this right. The amounts are listed as percentages, so maybe it's actually 5-2-15?), and some blood and bone meal with 7-7-0 NPK. Will some combination of these two things be sufficient, or will I have to add something else? (compost? manure? or...?)
Any suggestions?
Rhonda
King Ed - Where do you get the Speedlings? I will not afford to buy it at Earthbox and pay $15 per bag to have it shipped.
Fool - I get the Speedlings right at the EB Research Farm. I've never seen it anywhere else. You are correct, it is too expensive to ship. If I couldn't pick it up, I believe I would be using something else. Ed
I have 6 EB and am looking for a reference or source that would tell me what I can plant each month of the year in Tampa or Zone 9a/b. Hope you enjoy the picture!
Here you are nsleeper. You can also go to http://earthboxresearch.com/ and print it out from there. Ed
EarthBox Recommended Planting Seasons for Central Florida
JANUARY
Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chinese Cabbage Collards Endive/Escarole Kale Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce Mustard Onions Peas Radish Spinach Squash Turnips
FEBRUARY
Beans Beets Cantaloupes Carrots Collards Corn Cucumber Eggplant Kohlrabi Mustard Onions Okra Peas Peppers Squash Radish Tomatoes Turnips
MARCH
Beans Cantaloupe Corn Cucumber Lima Beans Mustard Onions Peppers Radish Squash Tomatoes
APRIL
Beans (Bush & Pole) Caladiums Lima Beans Mustard Okra Peas
MAY
Annual Vines Bedding Plants Caladiums Okra
AUGUST
Cantaloupes Collards Eggplant Lima Beans Okra Peas Peppers Pole Beans Sweet Corn Tomatoes
SEPTEMBER
Beans Broccoli Cabbage Cantaloupes Collards Cucumber Eggplant Endive/Escarole Kale Lettuce Mustard Okra Onions Parsley Squash
OCTOBER
Beans Beets Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Celery Collards Cucumber Eggplant Endive/Escarole Kale Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce Mustard Onions Parsley Radish Spinach Strawberry Turnips
NOVEMBER
Beets Broccoli Brussel Spouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chinese Cabbage Collards Endive/Escarole Kale Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce Mustard Onion Parsley Radish Spinach Strawberry Turnips
DECEMBER
Beets Broccoli Brussel Spouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chinese Cabbage Collards Endive/Escarole Kale Kohlrabi Leek Lettuce Mustard Onion Parsley Radish Spinach Turnips
kingedking:
In my opinion the EB folks are a sorry lot. Follow your link to Ctrl FL plantings and check newsletter Vol 1 Issue 1, dated March 2003. No further newsletters.
They are advertising all over (a women from the UK on the tomato forum complains about the price). They once asked me for some suggestions, I replied, they thanked me (don't remember what I said). But when I asked them for advice - not a peep. The current more sophisticated EB brochure is from PA - and someone said that is where they make the EBs. Don't care - They are milking the product (I have ten of them) without any real attempt at customer relationship. Now back to the Central FL planting guide: A list of plants - transplants or seeds? A superficial list at best; and where are guides for other areas?
You are lucky to be where you are but for other EB users - buy the box and do the best you can. Earthboxes: a great idea - a sorry company. Best Wishes.
hsottnek - Yessur - The 800 number is nothing more than a marketing organization. I don't know what the official relationship is between the research farm and earthbox.com. I have a feeling the Whisenants sold out the marketing rights to some other company and just keep doing their own thing at their "research farm". They are really nice to their customers at the farm and are very helpful, but you are right, the customer service outside of the research farm seems to turn into "boxmovers anonymous" customer service - "give me your order and go away because I don't know anything about these things, I just take orders." I don't know if the Whisenants sold out everything except the right to sell them locally at their farm or if they get a percentage on each box the box movers sell, or whatever. Probably never will either. Private business deals are usually kept that way.
I would venture to say the research farm made up their planting list for central florida because that is where they are, where they sell, and that is the area they know. The person that asked for a list is in central florida so it was the right list for him. Superficial?? It covers all the veggies I am interested in. I'm in Northern Florida so I'm a month later than the central florida list shows. It says planting list, not seed sowing list, nor transplanting list (which not everyone does), so it is probably safe to assume it means plants in the ground (EB) in central Florida.
I don't think they will even ship anything from the family run research farm. I'm pretty sure it is cash and carry only. Probably something to do with their business relationship with the boxmovers company.
They are not real convenient for me (114 miles one way), so I don't go there that often. I still want to make one of their Wednesday or Saturday morning classes, but I haven't been able to make it down there on either day yet. I hope to make it down there in another month or two, go to the class, and stock up on the speedlings potting mix. No more EBs though. I've got 12 now and they will give me way more maters than I could ever use.
Enjoy your EBs and the crops they produce, even if there is no customer service. Ed
Ed:
Thanks for your reply. I was concerned that I sounded too negative about a very good product, and maybe that I was being too critical of your post.
I wrote elsewhere on Dave's that I thought they had been "bought out." I didn't know who "they" were Now I know that there is a "there" there.
Further, 114 miles is certainly not nearby; you are making a big effort to do what you do with the good /best part of the outfit.
Hank
Hank - What you get at the research farm is a small, family owned and run business along with the customer service one can expect from most small businesses. They have pride in their product and want to do everything in their power to help you get the most out of it. Different story on the internet/phone order group. All they care about is moving boxes.
I tried calling Speedling today but they were gone already. They have a big operation in Bushnell, which is less than 30 miles for me. Interesting web site. Sounds like they grow a lot of stuff for commercial farmers and they have hugh greenhouses where they water everything from the bottom, just like the EBs. They call it their sub-irrigation technique. They URL is http://speedling.com/ if you want to take a peek. I'll try contacting them again tomorrow and see if I can buy their potting mix there. I have my doubts though. It sounds like they are geared to large commercial operators.
Yes, 114 miles is a good haul, but my wife lives in Tampa (works there-to far to commute to Inverness), so I leave from there and we make a day of it. There is a large outlet mall mall right off the Ellenton exit and we wander around there for a couple of hours. Have a nice dinner and then head back to Tampa. Kind of make it a dual purpose trip. It always seems to get expensive though!!
The cold is creeping in again. Latest weather said we should go down to 34. This afternoon we were supposed to stay in the high 30s to low 40s. I would have been OK if that afternoon forecast would have held, but 34 may wipe out my maters. Oh well, I've got backup seeds germinating now. I'll see if I get from seeds to 18" plants in 4 weeks like I did with the first batch. I still have trouble believing they grew that fast. Amazing. Happy growin to ya -- Ed